Shipping carton for film reels and the like



June 17, 1969 3,450,329

SHIPPING CARTON FOR FILM REELS AND THE LIKE M. GOLDBERG 7 Filed Jan. 8, 1968 FIG. L7 4 FIG.3. J4

INVENTOR. MORRIS GOLDBERG FIG. 2.

ATTORNEYS .7

United States Patent 3,450,329 SHIPPING CARTON FOR FILM REELS AND THE LIKE Morris Goldberg, Denver, Colo., assiguor to Goldberg Brothers, Inc., Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Filed Jan. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 696,366 Int. Cl. B65d 13/04, 45/00; B65h 75/16 US. Cl. 229-23 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a novel protective carton for film reels and the like characterized by a box-like body having top, bottom and side walls but being open on both ends. These open ends are covered by removable metal caps having transverse slots at both ends through which a strap is threaded that completely envelops the sides and ends. The strap is preferably permanently attached to one sidewall of the box and is secured by a conventional buckle.

For some time, a need has existed for a simple and inexpensive, yet rugged, shipping container for reels of motion picture film. Many such cartons exist in the prior art; however, most of them are made of metal or molded plastic with complex locks, hinges, etc. The attempts to simplify same have generally resulted in cartons that are not rugged enough to withstand the rough treatment to which they are all too often subjected. The corners of a rectangular carton are particularly vulnerable because they are easily crushed and the circular reel inside the box provides no structural reinforcement for the corners.

The prints of films shipped in these containers are quite expensive to reproduce from the master copy and it is, therefore, important that they not be damaged in shipment or handling. Also, in many instances a particular print is scheduled for showing over and over again at closely spaced intervals and, if it becomes damaged, there is oftentimes no opportunity to obtain another copy in time, which results in considerable difiiculty and embarrassment for all concerned.

It has now been found in accordance with the teaching of the instant invention that these and other problems can, in large measure, be eliminated through the use of a unique shipping carton design that is both inexpensive and rugged. The dominant features of the container are heavy gauge metal caps that protect all four corners while forming closures for both open ends and a simple buckle strap to hold these endcaps in place.

Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved shipping carton for motion picture film reels and the like.

A second object is the provision of a shipping container of the type aforementioned that is versatile and easily adapted for use with any size film reel.

Another object is to provide a film carton that has the open ends and corners thereof protected and reinforced by metal caps, one of which is removable while the other is permanently attached.

Still another objective of the invention herein disclosed and claimed is the provision of a box-like shipping container that uses a conventional buckle strap as both a closing mechanism and the means for retaining the endcaps in place.

An additional object is to provide a shipping carton, the box-like body portion of which is formed from a single flat sheet of material that only requires simple parallel folds to define the top, bottom and side walls, thus eliminating complex corner constructions and the like.

Patented June 17, 1969 A further object of the invention is to provide a shipping container that is inexpensive, extremely rugged, easy to open and close, simple to fabricate, compact and even decorative in appearance.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed out specifically hereinafter in connection with the description of the drawings that follows, and in which;

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the shipping carton showing portions of the top broken away to better reveal the interior construction;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, portions of which have been broken away to conserve space;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section taken along line 33 of FIGURE 1, portions of which have been broken away and shown in section;

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of one of the endcaps, portions thereof having been broken away to conserve space; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary section taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

Referring now to the drawings for a detailed description of the present invention and, initially, to FIGURE 1 for this purpose, reference numeral 10 has been selected to designate the entire shipping carton in a general Way, reference numeral 12 the box-like body thereof, numeral 14 the removable endcaps, and numeral 16 the strap that holds said endcaps in place. While the unit is essentially square, for purposes of clarity it will be referred to as having sides and ends even though they are of the same length.

The distance separating the sidewalls 18 and 20 and the endcaps 14 is the same and not less than the diameter of the film reel to be housed therein. The top 22 is spaced above the bottom 24 a distance no less than the thickness of the reel to be housed therebetween and, preferably, said reel shall fit rather loosely therein for ease of insertion and removal.

In FIGURES l, 2 and 3, it will be noted that the boxlike body 12 is fabricated from a single rectangular sheet folded along spaced parallel folds to form integral sidewalls 18 and 20, the top 22 and the bottom 24. One of the sidewalls 20 is of double thickness as the terminal flaps 26 and 28 on opposite ends of the sheet are overlapped to produce same. These overlapped flaps are fastened together permanently by rivets 30, three of which are shown in FIGURE 1.

The body 12 can be fabricated from any number of different sheet materials such as metal or plastic; however, it has been found that fiberboard works quite well because it is capable of withstanding considerable abuse, is easy to fold and is inexpensive. Both ends of the boxlike body are completely open and the reel can be inserted or withdrawn from either one.

Next, with particular reference to FIGURES 4 and 5, it will be seen that the endcaps 14 include endpanels 32 that terminate at both extremities short of the sidewalls 18 and 20 of the body so as to leave a small gap therebetween. These endpanels are bordered by an integrallyfonned rim 34 sized to envelop the open ends of the body and, in so doing, it leaves a rectangular opening 36 at both ends between said rim and the adjacent free edge 38 of the wall portion, said openings being adapted to pass strap 16 in a manner which will be explained in detail presently. Thus, as the endcaps are slipped over the open ends of the body as shown most clearly in FIGURE 1, a small opening is left at each corner.

Since the endcaps 14 cover the open ends of the body and must provide most of the structural protection for the contents, they are preferably stamped or otherwise formed from relatively heavy gauge metal although, of course, suitable endcaps could undoubtedly be fabricated in other ways such as by molding same from some high-impact plastic material of which there are many available. It is important to note in this connection that the endcaps protect all four corners of the unit from damage with the possible exception of the gap between the free edge of the endwall portion and the adjacent sidewall of the box which, for all practical purposes, is so narrow as to preclude damage at this point.

Finally, with reference once again to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, it will be seen that strap 16 completely surrounds the container and functions to fasten both endcaps in place while, at the same time, providing further protection for the sidewalls. Strap 16 is permanently attached near its midpoint to one of the sidewalls 18 of the box by a rivet 40. A second rivet 42 on the opposite sidewall 20 passes through both flaps 26 and 28, as well as the end of the strap having buckle 44 afiixed thereto. Thus, rivets 40 and 42 cooperate with the section 46 of strap 16 therebetween to permanently fasten one of the endcaps '14 to the open end of the box. This section of the strap passes from rivet 40 underneath rim 34 and through one of the rectangular openings 36 in the endcap, thence along the outside of endwall portion 32, back through the other opening 36 and under rim 34 to rivet 42. The portions of the strap that go around the corners cover the gaps aforementioned that are left open between the free edges, of the endwall portions 32 and the adjacent sidewalls 18 and 20 of the box.

The unfastened length 48 of strap 16 is threaded in like manner through the openings 36 in opposite ends of the removable endcap 14 and is secured to buckle 44 to hold the latter element in place. By merely unbuckling strap 16, the removable endcap can be lifted free of the body for insertion and removal of the reel, and said endcap need not be removed from the unfastened length 48 of said strap. It should, perhaps, be mentioned that by attaching buckle 44 to portion 48 rather than portion 46 f strap 16, both endcaps will remain permanently attached thereto because buckle 44 will not pass through the openings 36, yet the strap will still slide relative thereto as required to cinch it up tight. The latter arrangement has the advantage of keeping the shipping container a unitary assembly where the possibility of losing or misplacing the removable endcap is eliminated. On the other hand, it is somewhat easier to buckle the strap if the arrangement illustrated is employed because there is more of a free end left to work with. A simple web-type woven strap has proven quite satisfactory for use in the instant construction.

Having thus described the several useful and novel features of the shipping container of the present invention, it will be apparent that the several worthwhile objectives for which it was developed have been achieved. Although but a single specific embodiment has been illustrated, I realize that certain changes and modifications therein may well occur to those skilled in the art within the broad teaching hereof.

What is claimed is:

1. The shipping container which comprises: a shallow rectangular box-like body having spaced substantially parallel top and bottom walls joined together on opposite sides by sidewalls so as to leave the ends thereof open; a pair of endcaps adapted to slip over the open ends of the body and at least partially enclose same, said endcaps each including an elongate generally rectangular rim with spaced substantially parallel top and bottom portions joined together at opposite ends by parallel end portions spaced slightly outside the corresponding sidewalls of the body to leave a slit therebetween, and integrallyformed endpanels interconnecting the top and bottom portions while terminating at opposite ends in free edges spaced inside the end portion of the rim so as to define openings therebetween; a flexible strap of a width approximately equal to the thickness of the body and a length at least sufiicient to extend along both sides and both open ends, said strap being threaded along the outside of one sidewall and through the first set of slits at opposite ends thereof onto the outside of the endcaps through the adjacent set of openings therein, thence along the outside of the end panels and back through the second set of endcap openings, and finally beneath the adjacent end portions and through the remaining set of slits till the opposite ends thereof meet along the other sidewall; and, a buckle means adapted to releasably fasten the free ends of the strap together.

2. The shipping container as set forth in claim 1 in which: the strap is permanently fastened at a point intermediate the ends thereof to at least one sidewall.

3. The shipping container as set forth in claim 1 in which: the box-like body comprises a single elongate rectangular sheet of material bent along spaced parallel folds to define the top and bottom wall with one sidewall therebetween and integrally-formed endflaps along the free edges that cooperate upon being fastened together in overlapping face-to-face relation to define the second sidewall.

4. The shipping container as set forth in claim 2 in which: the strap is permanently fastened adjacent one of its free ends to the other sidewall of the body, the portion of said strap between the two points of attachment to the body functioning to hold the endcap threaded thereon permanently on said body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,817,518 8/1931 Lacher -59 1,869,927 8/ 1932 Wurzburg.

1,918,109 7/1933 Joyce 206-52 1,951,543 3/1934 Bruns et al. 206-52 2,423,962 7/ 1947 Clark et al 206-52 X 2,595,375 5/1952 Weirich et al 206-52 3,161,345 12/1964 McLeod 229-45 DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 190-59; 206-52 

